A year plus and counting: Lessons I've learned

Thursday, December 01, 2011

In no particular order:

1) Don't think of it as a diet. Think of it as a nutritional plan to last the foreseeable lifetime (I say foreseeable, as as we age, our needs may change). A diet is something that has in most minds a time limit. We want to live how we eat, or at least that's my aspiration.

2) Look at the big picture, and don't sweat the small stuff. (I'm not just talking about food, here.) Life can throw us plenty of big stuff without worrying about the small stuff. For my own example, my Dad is rapidly falling into dementia, and is not going down without a fight. Unfortunately, while fighting is good, and gives one an edge, throwing your walker at nursing rehab staff, if you do it more than a couple of times, is going to lead to your being over-medicated, and a further decrease before your time of brain function. This is big stuff.

3) If you fall off the proverbial food wagon while sweating the big stuff (or even the small stuff before you sort these types out), by eating half a dozen or so donut holes brought in by a co-worker, just sigh and resolve to find yourself some HEALTHY comfort food for the future.

4) Yes, I think Japanese sashimi is good and healthy comfort food, but it's too pricey to use that way.

6) Other things to consider: when out with friends at their homes socially, unless you are dining there weekly or more (or are allergic), don't be a prig and refuse to eat what they serve. Especially if they when to the effort to cook it, rather than ran out to some place and brought it in. Just limit your portion. It is still okay to decline dessert.

7) It is okay to be grain-free (although I will eat grains like wild rice or amaranth without worry) since there are no essential carbohydrates. It is also great to buy a quarterly loaf of gluten-laden bread (if you can tolerate gluten) from a real old-time bakery, and it is especially good if the loaf is still warm when you buy it, and you just indulge, whether or not (and probably best if not) under stress. But for me about four times a year.

8) And if you reach a temporary plateau in weight loss... Adjust, smile and know you will get there in your own due time.

9) And NO, you don't need to count calories, carbs, points, or brain cells to lose weight. Some feel better if they do so, and in my case it was good to get a baseline, especially on carbs (since I follow a low carb, mostly Primal, real foods, sort of Weston A. Price nutritional plan)

10) And YES, avoid fake foods like anything made with "Soy Protein Isolate" which includes all those fake meats and cheeses (better living through chemistry, eh? Not to speak of whatever additives go in to make them taste "acceptable".) Friends, BUTTER is okay. I limit it, but it's better than many of the alternatives. Eat WHOLE eggs. Not those cartonized things. I could go on, and I may in a future blog post.